Riding for a cause: Naval Academy grads cycle through Ohiopyle to raise money for vets
Mark Hofmann/For the Observer-Reporter
Members of the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1983 cycle out of Ohiopyle on Monday morning to continue their cross-country journey, set to end in Annapolis, Md., on Thursday. The group is riding to raise awareness and money for veterans’ causes.
Mark Hofmann/For the Observer-Reporter
One of the daily routines for members of the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1983 is to do pushups each morning before they ride about 100 miles. The group is raising money for charities that support veterans, and stayed in Ohiopyle on Sunday night.
A mission to raise awareness and money for charities that support veterans brought several members of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Class of 1983 to Ohiopyle.
The Fayette County stop Sunday into Monday was part of a cross-country bike ride that started Aug. 23 in Whidbey Island, Wash., and will conclude this Thursday in Annapolis, Md. – in time of the class’s 40th reunion at the academy.
“This (idea) started at our 35th reunion when we thought it would be cool at our 40th to bike across the country to raise money and awareness,” said David Saba of Houston, Texas, one of the academy’s 1,403 graduates in 1983.
Over the span of five years, the idea of a cross-country ride firmly took root, and organizers plotted out the 44-day journey. Fourteen classmates from different parts of the country, and some of their family members, joined in – some for the whole ride, some for just part of it.
The group intends to raise $1.983 million (a nod to their graduation year) in the next 10 years for 23 veteran charities. So far, they’ve raised $483,000, mostly through small donations made through their website, navy-cycling.com/.
“It’s been a great response,” Saba said, noting anyone is welcome to donate, learn about the charities the ride supports, and track the group’s progress.
Scott Watson of Birmingham has been along since the beginning of the journey in Washington. The Alabama resident said he’s always wanted to ride a bicycle across the country.
However, about 1,700 miles into the 3,423-mile journey, 62-year-old Watson collided with another cyclist, fell off his bike and broke his pelvis. He spent two nights in the hospital, and had to make a decision.
“Do I stay with the guys or do I go home?” Watson asked himself.
The decision was clear: “I started this thing, so I’m going all the way,” he said.
His wife Lynne flew to meet him in the hospital, and, after Watson was discharged, they caught up to the group 300 miles ahead. Watson has been riding along in a different manner than he’d anticipated – as a passenger in one of the group’s support vehicles – but he still takes part in some of the group’s daily activities.
“Every day, I feel a little better,” he said. “It’s a huge blessing to be with these guys. I love this team.”
Saba said they’ve added participants throughout the journey, and anticipate 70 in the final stretch to Annapolis. To get there from Ohiopyle, the team will pass through Cumberland and Hagerstown in Maryland, and Arlington, Va. On Wednesday, they will ride from Arlington to Annapolis.
Dan Dixon, who lives just outside of Annapolis, found out about the ride from his old roommate at the academy. He and his friend joined the ride in Toledo, Ohio, in the last week of September.
“For me, it was to get fit and have an excuse to go out and exercise, but once I got there, there’s so much energy and passion of being a part of something bigger than yourself,” Dixon said. “I’ve seen a lot of people I haven’t seen in 40 years since leaving the Naval Academy.”
They’ve also received support wherever they’ve passed through, including escorts from American Legions and local fire departments (including Ohiopyle’s), and locals visiting to provide meals and moral support.
“America is a great country and if you ride your bike, you see it much differently than (traveling on) the interstate,” Watson said. “There are so many people who were generous to us across the country.”
Saba said one school in one Wyoming dismissed its students so they could see the cyclists.
“We appreciate people coming out to support us,” Saba said.